Friday, January 27, 2017

Sometimes fairytales really do come true.
Based on the magical dresses of the Spring 2017 couture collections, the
designers are likely apt to agree. It's as if the Disney stories and their
leading ladies have come to life this season. And with a little help from the beautiful photos by Annie Leibovitz portraying iconic Disney scenes, we can take a journey into some of our favorite stories.

Giambattista Valli

Alexis Mabille

Beauty sweeps through the room in golden ball gowns in the spirit of Beauty and the Beast.

Pocahontas finds fringe that sparkles
thanks to Atelier Versace.

The soft lavender gown from GiambattistaValli is a perfect fit for Rapunzel’s wardrobe.

Merida can stand tall, strong and brave with the deep green elegance of Alexis Mabille.

Beauty never sleeps when it looks as good
as the pink gown from Giambattista Valli.

Dreamy white gowns like those of Wendy
from Peter Pan come to life on the Valentino runway.

Giambattista Valli

The prince is sure to come chasing, regardless of whether or not you leave your glass slipper behind, when you're wearing these heavenly
blue confections.

All your furry and feathered friends are
sure to come calling when your dress is as melodic as Snow White’s yellow and
blue classic ensemble with a little help from Jean Paul Gaultier.

Ralph & Russo

Just because Ursula may try to hold you
back with her trickery and black tentacles…

You can withstand the waves wearing a
cool blue palette of gowns, with fabric that moves as smoothly as the waves.

Friday, January 20, 2017

It sways, moving with the rhythm of every
shimmy and shake. It covers while also playing peek-a-boo with the skin that
lies beneath. This fixture of fashion is best known as fringe.

Fringe has made cameo appearances over
the course of history, playing backup to other design elements like embroidery,
rhinestones or tie dye. But it has also had its moments of playing a leading role,
such as the case with the Fall 2016 collections.

With roots in the ancient civilization of
Mesopotamia, fringe also has origins in Native American culture as means to
repel rain water. This practical use was adopted by America’s cowboys as they
faced the uncharted frontier.

Overtime, fringe evolved into something a
bit more playful, particularly when it hit mainstream culture thanks to the
rising hemlines of the 1920s flappers. As they danced the night away in jazz clubs,
flappers donned fringe on their dressesto help cover the risqué exposure of their knees. But it also added a
bit of flair as they hopped along with the moves of the Charleston.

Fringe made another splash on the fashion stage as hippie culture took over. During the reign of free love and disco, 1970s music sensations Cher and Dolly Parton took their part in propelling the trend.

For several seasons now fringe has been
seen on the runways. With the ability to add the spirit of the wild west, a bit
of drama or playful accent, fringe has shown up in multiple forms in the
collections.

Cowgirl meets rocker chic in the designs
of Zuhair
Murad.

Always one to embrace elements of the
America’s heritage, Ralph Lauren adds fringe to his Western wear looks.

While fringe goes boho in the spirit of love and freedom with Zimmermann.

Regardless of your style, the case continues to be made that there's a fringe for everyone.

Thursday, January 12, 2017

She was the girl that caught the king’s
eye. Beautiful, intriguing and witty, the young Anne Boleyn found herself the
object of King Henry VIII’s desire. She is perhaps
best known as the other Boleyn girl, the sister that turned down the role of
king’s mistress and instead held out for the crown.

She rose from a lady in waiting to Queen
of England. During her journey, she claimed power for her family, set fashion
trends, pursued learning, helped usher in a historic break between the
Church of England and Rome and gave birth to a future queen.

After spending time in the French court
as a young girl, Anne returned to England with style and accomplishments that
had all the handsome courtiers vying for her heart. Her time in the foreign
court likely
inspired
much of her good taste, giving her design inspiration
that was quickly copied by other ladies of the court.

But not all of her fashion choices were
for style alone. There was also a layer of practicality since her long sleeves
covered her 6th finger nail and her iconic choker is said to have covered a mole or cyst.
Regardless of the reasons that inspired her dress and accessory selections, the
trends took off and continue to inspire modern designs like those of Valentino.

The Fall 2016 couture collection featured
elements of Anne’s Tudor era, as well as the later elements seen in her
daughter’s reign in the Elizabethan era. Though not totally Tudor in spirit, I
couldn’t help but think of Anne and her epic story with Valentino’s use of rich tones, including dramatic shades of red juxtaposed with classic black and white.

I can imagine her walking the halls the
palace, her heavy brocade dresses skimming the
stone floors and the sound of her laughter filling the air as she enjoys the
jokes of an admiring courtier. With her dark looks, elegance and intelligence,
she was endlessly attracting suitors, including the king himself.

After years of holding the king at arm’s
length, Anne made history and married King Henry VIII in 1533 in a secret
ceremony. She may have shed her corset and brocade gowns for something a bit
more sheer and seductive for their time together.

As Anne’s journey to the throne soon
turned into a path to the chopping block, the looks turn darker with red color blocking to symbolize the end of her story at the Tower of London. No longer captivating on the royal stage, Anne became the Lady in the Tower.

After rising to the top, the intrigues of
the court and heart of the king betrayed the young queen. Anne’s crown would
soon pass to the next queen, putting Anne in the ranks of Henry’s six wives.

Though her life came to an untimely end, her story remains forever entwined with the history of England and even hundreds of years later, Anne keeps everyone intrigued.

Sunday, January 8, 2017

I have a bit of a confession to make, I love watching The Bachelor. After 20 seasons of contestants vying for the attention and heart of the bachelor, I still can't get enough of the show. I find myself believing the host, Chris Harrison, each time when he says the season is going to be the most exciting yet. Though the relationships that form have their ups and downs, and love does not alway prevail, I continue to join the journey to find love.

With the recent premier of the newest season, I can't help but have roses on the brain. As roses are handed out each episode to the ladies of choice, these roses can't be any color...they must be red. Imagine the bachelor handing out yellow roses of friendship or pink roses of appreciation, the effect would not be the same.

Valentino

The red roses are a classic symbol of love and passion, and are thus the perfect color for the show. Since the time of Greek mythology and the goddess of love, Aphrodite, the red rose has been used to communicate desire and romantic love. Though the drama of the show does not always point to true love, the use of red is also interesting for its other meanings.

Rodarte

From roses to dresses, the color is perfect to communicate passion and energy. Scientific studies have also shown that men are more attracted to women who wear the color red. Perhaps this is why so many of the ladies donned the color on the premier episode. Whether or not their dress decisions worked remains to be seen.

Alexander McQueen

Though we may not find ourselves at a rose ceremony, we can still wear the powerful color of choice with designs from the Spring 2017 collections.

Stella McCartney

From the red rose color to floral embroidery, roses pervaded the runways. The red beauties included the delicate and romantic with red tulle and lace. But an edgier side to the rose was also showcased with the use of leather and studs, displaying the tougher side of the flower and color, like the thorn we often find on the stems.

Dior

Whether romantic or edgy, the rose will provide plenty of inspiration and ways to bloom in your closet this spring.

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I created A Chichi Life as a creative outlet for me to explore fashion and its connection to art and history. I hope you find plenty of beauty and inspiration here, and of course a dash of chichi style.